Anton groans in dismay as he follows me through the door. “You’re going to kill me, Sinclair” he mutters. “The stress of being your ghost helper –““Handmaid,” I correct, striding forward into this new world.“Is going to kill me,” he continues, and I can nearly feel him glaring hard at the back of
“Okay,” I whisper, nodding frantically, agreeing to it. “I’m sorry too – I, um…Yeah, let’s go.”Together we turn.But there’s another soul there, in the valley behind us. And beyond him, another, all moving towards us, all quite curious.I blink in surprise, though, because – because beyond those tw
“What the fuck are you doing here!?” Orion shouts as he appears at Juniper’s side, Anton gasping as he tries again and again to shove the souls away from her body, which is limp at his feet.“Get us out of here!” Anton screams, ignoring the question.Orion whips his head to the right and opens his m
But then she stirs, and moans, and coughs a bit, her head turning to the side.“There she is,” Orion murmurs, setting down the vial and settling Juniper more comfortably in his arms as she groans and turns her head into him, shuddering and shaking as life comes back to her.Anton huffs out a breath
“Could have guessed it,” Orion says with a sigh, moving his gaze away from Anton and back to me. “You hear it all the time with these first loves – they get the girls young, get them wrapped up in a promise –““Hey!” I gasp, utterly offended. “Blythe is not like that –““Oh, that is precisely what h
Orion huffs a laugh, sitting back, clearly not giving into my demands so easily. “Yeah, I’m not doing that.”“Orion,” I say, quite peaceful and sweet, attempting to channel all the Ariel Sinclair I can. “You want to marry me, right?”He goes still and so does Anton, confused by this change in tactic
“Oh, it’s fine that you’re going on a date, Orion,” I say, sitting up straight and lying through my teeth, my pride giving me the boost I need. “I’m just…surprised.”I don’t miss, at all, how carefully Anton is watching me.“What,” Orion says, smirking as he pulls on his jacket. “Did you think I was
I let my eyes drift shut, breathing out a long breath, as the details snap into place. Because I know the story, of course – my parents told me about it. About Ariel’s friend, who jumped in front of the knife that a traitor Cadet pulled on her, who took the blow that was aimed at my sister and died